Concrete railway cross-tie.



A. F. WILSON.

CONCRETE RAILWAY GROSS TIE.

APPLICATION FILED 1320.9.,1910,

1 ,002,6 1 7, Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

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, 'fluor/ms A. F. WILSON.

GONGRETE RAILWAY CROSS TIB. APPLIGATION HLEnDBo. 9, 1910.

1,002,617, Patented sept. 5,1911.

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Hurd u W n 'j w Uwbefth/Qawg col. M

ALBERT F. WILSON, 0F MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

CONCRETE RAILWAY CROSS-TIE.

rooaerv.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

Application filed December 9, 1910. Serial No. 596,512.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. WILSON, citizen of the United States,residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery and State ofAlabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ConcreteRailway Cross-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway cross ties and more particularly to aconcrete tie especially designed to take the place of the ordinarywooden cross ties now in general use.

The object of the invention is to provide a concrete tie of simple anddurable construction, capable of being readily positioned on a road bedand which will elfectually withstand the deleterious action of theelements for an indefinite period without liability of cracking orotherwise disintegrating.

A further object is to provide a reinforced concrete tie includingmating sections having their inner ends united by a coupling member soas to permit a limited vertical movement of one tie section relativelyto the other and thus prevent injury to the tie incident to the passageof cars and other railway rolling stock.

A further object is to provide each tie section with a reinforcing bar,the inner end of which is pivotally connected to the coupling member,while the outer end is extended above the surface of the tie and is bentto produce a brace for engagement with one side of the adjacent rail,there being a similar brace arranged on the opposite side of each railand co-acting with the mating brace to clamp the rail in position on thecross tie.

A further object is to form the mating rail braces with registeringslots for the reception of bolts or similar fastening devices so as topermit free expansion and contraction of the rails, while at the sametime preventing vertical movement of the rails with respect to the crosstie.

A further object is to form the upper surface of the tie with a seatingrecess adapted to receive the removable pillar block, the latter formingin effect a cushion for the rails and serving to receive and absorb t-heshock or impact imparted thereto.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices,

so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in t-he followingdescription, it being understood that various changes in form,proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to withinthe scope of the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof,reference is to be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a railway track providedwith a reinforced concrete tie constructed in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the crossties; Fig. 3 is a top plan view; Fig. 4t is a perspective view of one ofthe reinforcing bars detached, showing the coupling member in positionabove the same; Fig. 5 is a top plan view showing a modied form ofcushioning block; Fig. 6' is a similar view, showing a furthermodification; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view, showing a differentmanner of connecting t-he reinforcing bars to the rail; Fig` 8 is aperspective view of one of the clamping members used in connection withthe clamping bar shown in Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view,showing a modified form of clamping bar.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The improved railway cross tie forming the subject matter of the presentinvention, comprises mating sections 5 and 6, each preferably formedfrom cement, concrete or other plastic material molded into the desiredshape, as shown. The upper surface of each tie section is provided witha seating recess 7 opening through the opposite lon gitudinal edges ofthe tie and adapted to receive a cushioning block 8 preferably formed ofwood and upon which is supportw ed the adjacent rail 9. The block 8 ispreferably formed in two sections having transverse openings formedtherein for t-he reception of bolts or similar fastening devices 10 bymeans of which the sections may be firmly held in assembled position. Ifdesired however, these bolts 10 may be omitted.

Embedded in the concrete or other material forming the body of each tiesection,

i 6.5 slightly from the bottom of the seating reegoY is a reinforcingbar 11, -the outer end of y which is extended upwardly to form aninclined arm 12 and thence bent laterally to produce a llat pla-te 13adapted to bear against the upper surface of the adjacent block 8, themetal being thence extended upwardly to form an inclined plate 14terminating ina vertically disposed brace 15 adapted to bear against theweb of the adjacent rail 9. The plate 14 is offset at 16 to accommodatethe base VofV the rail 9, while the brace 15 is extended laterally onoppositesides of the plate 14 and provided with one ormore'longitudinally disposed slots 16 to permit the passage of securingbolts 17.

Arranged on -the outer side ofv each rail 9, is a clamping member 18which bears against the base of the rail and terminates Vin a verticallydisposed brace 19, similar in construction to the brace 15. The members13 and 18 are provided with openings adapted` t'o receive bolts 20, thelatter being extended through yregistering recesses 21 'formed intheblock 8 and also through the base of the adjacent tie section, thus toclamp the members 13 and 18 in engagement withthe rail, and at the sametime prevent accidental displacement of the block 8. It

' j `will here be noted that the width of the slots 16 is approximatelythe same as the diameter ofthe securing bolts 17 so as to preventvertical movement of the rails'with respect to the cross tie, While atthe same time permitting free expansion and contraction of the rails. Itwill also be noted that by forming the block 8 in two sections, eithersection may be readily removed and replaced by merely detaching the bolt10 ,and without the necessity of removing or otherwise disturbing theadjacent rail. The

block 8 not only serves to support the adjacent rail 9, but also servesto receive and absorb the shock or impact imparted to the rails when atrain is passing thereover.

rlhe inner end of each tie section is cutaway to form a seating recess22 to accommodate a coupling member 23, the latter being substantiallyU-shaped in cross section and'adapted to receive theV ends of the adjacentreinforcing bars 11. Each bar 11 is pivotally connected to thecoupling member 23 by a bolt 24 so as to permit a limited verticalmovement of one tie section relative to the other and thus preventcracking or otherwise injuring the tie incident toy vibrationsand otherstrainscaused by the passage of cars and other railway rolling stock.The top of the coupling member 23 is preferably closed so as to`form astop for the adjacent reinforcing bar 11 and thus limit the tilting oryielding movement of the adjacent tie section, while the lower end ofthecoupling member isopen and spaced cess 22 so as to permit free tiltingmovement of the tie sections without binding or wedging action betweenthe parts. lf desired however, the coupling member may be open at thetop and closed at the botj tom, or open or closed at both the top andbottom, as may be found most desirable, and in some cases, thereinforcing bars may be rigidly united or formed from a continuous stripof spring metal, in which case, the inner ends ofthe tie sections willbe spaced apart asufficient distance to allow the spring bar to yield atthe center of the cross t-ie. The seating recess 22 is preferably widerthan the coupling member so as to permit the insertion of a wrench orother suitable tool for the purpose of applying the bolts 24 and also tofacilitate assembling the tie sections. Thus it will be seen that thecoupling member 23 serves to prevent separation lengthwise of the tiesections, while at the same time allowing one tie section to yieldvertically with respect to the other.

The inclined arm 12 serves to center the bar 11 with respect to the tie,there being auxiliary bars or rods 25 embedded in the concrete onopposite sides of the bar 11 to assist in reinforcing and strengtheningthe tie.

If desired, the block 8 may be formed of a single piece of wood, asshown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, instead of being formed in sections,and in some cases, the seating recess 7 may terminate short of theyopposite longitudinal edges of the tie sections so als to formshoulders 26 which prevent the block from being withdrawn laterally fromthe seating recess, as best shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

In some cases, the coupling member 23 may be formed integral with one ofthe reinforcing barsv 11 and the mating bar pivotally connected to saidcoupling member,

as indicated at 23 in Fig. 9, thus allowing a limited vertical movementof one tie section relatively to the other, while at th'e same timedispensing with one of the securing bolts.

Should it be found in practice, that the slotsv have a tendency toweaken the webs of the rails, said slots may be omitted from the bracesand formed in the inclined plates 14, as indicated at 18 in Figs. 7 and8 of the drawings.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the bars 11 and braces15 and 19, not only serve to firmly anchor the rails on the cross tie,but also serve to reinforce the tie and prevent spreading of the rails,thus rendering the structure a safety device.

It will of course be understood, that the braces 15 and inclined plates14, as well as the clamping members 18, may each be formed with either asingle slot 0r a plurality of slots, without departing from the spiritof the invention.

A tie constructed in accordance with the present invention will not onlyout live an ordinary wooden tie, but being made in sections, may bereadily handled and the sections thereof quickly assembled and placed inposition on a road bed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A concrete cross tie including mating sections, and reinforcingmembers embedded in said sections and having their inner ends united andtheir outer ends extended above the top of the tie for engagement withthe web of a rail.

2. A concrete cross tie including mating sections having their innerends provided with recesses, a coupling member seated in said recesses,and reinforcing members having their inner ends connected with thecoupling member and their outer ends extended above the top of the tieand provided with braces for engagement with the web of a rail.

3. A concrete cross tie including mating sections having their innerends cut-away to produce recesses and their upper faces provided withseating recesses, blocks fitting in saijd seating recesses, a couplingmember spanning the cut-away portions of the tie sections, and areinforcing bar embedded in each tie section and having its inner endpivotally connected to the coupling member and its outer end extendedabove the upper surface of the tie andl in contact with the block forengagement with the web of a rail.

4. A concrete cross tie including mating sections, one of which has alimited vertical movement with respect to the other, cushioning blocksembedded in the upper surface of the tie sections, a reinforcing memberembedded in each tie section and having their outer ends disposed incontact with the adjacent block and thence bent upwardly to form slottedbraces for contact with the web of a rail, clamps having similar bracesco-acting with the first mentioned braces, and securing bolts piercingthe webs of the rails and seated in the slots in said braces.

5. A concrete cross tie including mating sections, one of which has alimited vertical movement with respect to the other, there being seatingrecesses formed in the upper surface of each tie section and openingthrough the opposite longitudinal edges thereof, a sectional block ttedin each seating recess and adapted to support a rail, a reinforcing barembedded in each tie sec* tion and having its outer end disposed incontact with the adjacent cushioning block and thence inclined laterallyand upwardly to form an elongated brace having slots therein, a clampsecured to each block and provided with a similar slotted brace, boltsextending through the slots in said braces,

and a coupling member spanning the tie sections at the inner endsthereof and pivotlly connected with the adjacent reinforcing ars.

6. A concrete cross tie including mating sections, a coupling memberconnecting the inner ends of said sections, a reinforcing bar embeddedin each section and having its inner end pivotally connected with thecoupling member and its outer end inclined upwardly and thence extendedlaterally to form a plate terminating in an upstanding longitudinallyslotted brace for contact with the web of a rail, cushioning blockscountersunk in the upper faces of the tie sections and bearing againstthe flat plates of the reinforcing bars, a clamping member secured toeach block and provided with a similar slotted brace, bolts piercing thewebs of the rails and seated in said slots, and fastening devicesextending through the clamping members, reinforcing bars and blocks forengagement with the adjacent tie section.

7. A concrete cross tie including mating sections having their innerends cut-away to produce recesses, a coupling member seated in saidrecesses and having its lower side open and its upper side closed, areinforcing bar embedded in each tie section and having its inner endpivotally connected with the coupling member and its outer end extendedabove the top of the tie for engagement with the web of a rail, andblocks countersunk in the upper faces of the tie sections and forming acushion for the rails.

8. A concrete cross tie including mating sections, a cushioning blockcountersunk in the upper surface of each tie section, reinforcing barsembedded in the tie sections and having their outer ends inclined upwardly and extended laterally to form a flat horizontally disposed platefor contact with the upper surface of the adjacent cushioning block,each bar being thence oset and inclined laterally to accommodate theflange of a rail, and thence extended upwardly to produce alongitudinally disposed slotted brace adapted to bear against the web ofthe rail, clamping members secured to the blocks and having similarslotted braces for contact with the webs of the rails, fastening devicespiercing the rails and seated in said slots, and a coupling memberforming a connection between the inner ends of the reinforcing bars.

9. A concrete cross tie including mating sections having their uppersurfaces provided witli seating recesses opening through the oppositesides thereof, cushioning blocks seated in said recesses and formed ofmating sections, fastening devices extending transversely through thesections of the blocks, reinforcing barsfhaving theirouter ends extendedabove the upper surfacev of the tie sections and bent laterally forengagement with the ange of a rail, clamping members secured to theblocks and co-aoting with the reinforcing bars, and a coupling memberforming a connection between the reinforcing bars at the inner ends ofthe tie sections.

10. A concrete cross tie including mating sections, one of which has, alimited vertical movement With respect to the other, and a reinforcingmember embedded in and connecting said sections, the outer ends of thereinforcing member being extended above the top of the tie forengagement with a rail.

In testimony whereof, I aiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

y ALBERT F. WILSON. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. ACKER, W. N. WooDsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. C.

